Ahold Delhaize announces commencement 2025 share buyback program

Ahold Delhaize announces that the €1 billion share buyback program announced on November 6, 2024 will commence on December 30, 2024. The maximum duration of the program is up to the end of 2025, subject to extension of the buyback authority by the general meeting.

Maintaining a balanced approach between funding growth in key channels and returning excess liquidity to shareholders is part of Ahold Delhaize’s financial framework to support its Growing Together strategy. The purpose of the program is to reduce the capital of Ahold Delhaize, by cancelling all or part of the common shares acquired through the program.

The program will be executed within the limits of relevant laws and regulations, the existing authority granted at Ahold Delhaize’s 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders on April 10, 2024 and the authority (if granted) by the annual general meeting on April 9, 2025. At the current share price, the program represents approximately 31.9 million shares, or 3.5% of total shares outstanding.

The share buyback program is executed in one or several tranches. For each of them, an intermediary is mandated to execute the purchase of the shares at its own discretion during open and closed periods in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (“MAR”) and within pre-defined execution parameters. Shares are bought in the market and accumulated on the treasury share account until cancellation. Pursuant to the relevant statutory provisions, cancellation may not be effected earlier than two months after a resolution to cancel shares is adopted and publicly announced. Ahold Delhaize is committed to the share buyback program, but the program is subject to changes in corporate activities, such as but not limited to material M&A activity.

Ahold Delhaize will provide regular updates on the progress of the program by means of press releases.

_{This press release includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by certain words, such as “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “goal,” “seek,” “believe,” “project,” “estimate,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “likely,” “may,” “should,” “will” and similar references to future periods.}

_{Forward-looking statements, including statements with respect to the Company’s authorized share buyback program, are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and that may cause the actual results of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. (the “Company”) to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such a material difference include, but are not limited to, risks relating to the Company’s inability to successfully implement its strategy, manage the growth of its business or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions risks relating to competition and pressure on profit margins in the food retail industry; the impact of economic conditions, including high levels of inflation, on consumer spending; changes in consumer expectations and preferences; turbulence in the global capital markets; political developments, natural disasters and pandemics; wars and geopolitical conflicts; climate change; energy supply issues; raw material scarcity and human rights developments in the supply chain; disruption of operations and other factors negatively affecting the Company’s suppliers; the unsuccessful operation of the Company’s franchised and affiliated stores; changes in supplier terms and the inability to pass on cost increases to prices; risks related to environmental, social and governance matters (including performance) and sustainable retailing; food safety issues resulting in product liability claims and adverse publicity; environmental liabilities associated with the properties that the Company owns or leases; competitive labor markets, changes in labor conditions and labor disruptions; increases in costs associated with the Company’s defined benefit pension plans; ransomware and other cybersecurity issues relating to the failure or breach of security of IT systems; the Company’s inability to successfully complete divestitures and the effect of contingent liabilities arising from completed divestitures; antitrust and similar legislation; unexpected outcomes in the Company’s legal proceedings; additional expenses or capital expenditures associated with compliance with federal, regional, state and local laws and regulations; unexpected outcomes with respect to tax audits; the impact of the Company’s outstanding financial debt; the Company’s ability to generate positive cash flows; fluctuation in interest rates; the change in reference interest rate; the impact of downgrades of the Company’s credit ratings and the associated increase in the Company’s cost of borrowing; exchange rate fluctuations; inherent limitations in the Company’s control systems; changes in accounting standards; inability to obtain effective levels of insurance coverage; adverse results arising from the Company’s claims against its self-insurance program; the Company’s inability to locate appropriate real estate or enter into real estate leases on commercially acceptable terms; and other factors discussed in the Company’s public filings and other disclosures.}

_{Forward-looking statements reflect the current views of the Company’s management and assumptions based on information currently available to the Company’s management. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update such statements, except as required by law.}